Africa's Talking Node.js SDK

The wrapper provides convenient access to the Africa's Talking API from applications written for Node.js.

Documentation

Take a look at the API docs here.

Install

You can install the package from npm by running:

$ npm install --save africastalking

Usage

The package needs to be configured with your app username and API key, which you can get from the dashboard.

You can use this SDK for either production or sandbox apps. For sandbox, the app username is ALWAYS sandbox

const credentials = {
    apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY',         // use your sandbox app API key for development in the test environment
    username: 'YOUR_USERNAME',      // use 'sandbox' for development in the test environment
};
const AfricasTalking = require('africastalking')(credentials);

// Initialize a service e.g. SMS
const sms = AfricasTalking.SMS

// Use the service
const options = {
    to: ['+254711XXXYYY', '+254733YYYZZZ'],
    message: "I'm a lumberjack and its ok, I work all night and sleep all day"
}

// Send message and capture the response or error
sms.send(options)
    .then( response => {
        console.log(response);
    })
    .catch( error => {
        console.log(error);
    });

See example for more usage examples.

Initialization

Initialize the SDK as a requirement by doing require('africastalking')(options). After initialization, you can get instances of offered services as follows:

• SMS Service : AfricasTalking.SMS

• Airtime Service : AfricasTalking.AIRTIME

• Mobile Data Service : AfricasTalking.MOBILE_DATA

• Voice Service : AfricasTalking.VOICE

• USSD : USSD API

• Token Service : AfricasTalking.TOKEN

• Insights : AfricasTalking.INSIGHTS

• WhatsApp : AfricasTalking.WHATSAPP

• Application Service : AfricasTalking.APPLICATION

Services

All methods are asynchronous

All phone numbers use the international format. e.g. +234xxxxxxxx.

SMS

• send({ to, senderId, message, enqueue }): Send an SMS to one or more phone numbers

• send([{ to, senderId, message, enqueue }]): Send multiple SMSes to one or more phone numbers

  • to: Recipient(s) phone number. Can either a single phone number or an array of phone numbers REQUIRED
  • senderId: Shortcode or alphanumeric ID that is registered with Africa's Talking account
  • message: SMS content. REQUIRED
  • enqueue: Set to true if you would like to deliver as many messages to the API without waiting for an acknowledgement from telcos.

• sendPremium({ to, from, message, enqueue, keyword, linkId, retryDurationInHours }): Send premium SMS

  • keyword: You premium product keyword
  • linkId: We forward the linkId to your application when the user send a message to your service
  • retryDurationInHours: It specifies the number of hours your subscription message should be retried in case it's not delivered to the subscriber

• fetchMessages({ lastReceivedId }): Manually retrieve your messages

  • lastReceivedId: "This is the id of the message that you last processed". Defaults to 0

• fetchSubscription({ shortCode, keyword, lastReceivedId }): Fetch your premium subscription data

  • shortCode: This is the premium short code mapped to your account. REQUIRED
  • keyword: A premium keyword under the above short code and mapped to your account. REQUIRED
  • lastReceivedId: "This is the id of the message that you last processed". Defaults to 0

• createSubscription({ shortCode, keyword, phoneNumber }): Create a premium subscription

  • shortCode: This is the premium short code mapped to your account. REQUIRED
  • keyword: A premium keyword under the above short code and mapped to your account. REQUIRED
  • phoneNumber: The phone number to be subscribed. REQUIRED

For more information on:

• SMS service: https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/sms/overview
• How to fetch subscriptions: https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/sms/premium_subscriptions/fetch
• How to listen for subscription notifications: https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/sms/notifications

Airtime

• send({ recipients }): Send airtime to a bunch of phone numbers.

  • recipients: An array of objects containing the following keys:

    • phoneNumber: Recipient of airtime. REQUIRED.
    • currencyCode: 3-digit ISO format currency code. REQUIRED.
    • amount: Amount to charge. REQUIRED.

  • maxNumRetry: This allows you to specify the maximum number of retries in case of failed airtime deliveries due to various reasons such as telco unavailability. The default retry period is 8 hours and retries occur every 60seconds. For example, setting maxNumRetry=4 means the transaction will be retried every 60seconds for the next 4 hours.OPTIONAL.

• findTransactionStatus(transactionId): Find the status of a given airtime transaction.

  • transactionId: ID of the transaction you would like to find.

For more information, please read https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/airtime/sending

MobileData

• send({ productName, recipients })

  • productName: This is the application's product name.
  • recipients: An array of objects containing the following keys:
    • phoneNumber: Recipient of the mobile data. REQUIRED.
    • quantity: a numeric value for the amount of mobile data. It is based on the available mobile data package(see "Bundle Package" column of mobile data pricing). REQUIRED.
    • unit: The units for the specified data quantity, the format is: MB or GB. It is based on the available mobile data package(see "Bundle Package" column of mobile data pricing). REQUIRED.
    • validity: The period of the data bundle’s validity this can be Day, Week, BiWeek, Month, or Quarterly. It is based on the available mobile data package (see "Validity" column of mobile data pricing). REQUIRED.
    • metadata: A JSON object of any metadata that you would like us to associate with the request. REQUIRED.

• findTransaction({ transactionId }): Find a mobile data transaction

• fetchWalletBalance(): Fetch a mobile data product balance

For more information, please read the https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/data/overview

Voice

• call({ callFrom, callTo }): Initiate a phone call

  • callFrom: Your Africa's Talking issued virtual phone number. REQUIRED
  • callTo: Comma-separated string of phone numbers to call. REQUIRED
  • clientRequestId: Additional information that can be used to tag the call in your callback URL.

• fetchQuedCalls({ phoneNumber }): Get queued calls

  • phoneNumber: Your Africa's Talking issued virtual phone number. REQUIRED

• uploadMediaFile({ phoneNumber, url }): Upload voice media file

  • phoneNumber: Your Africa's Talking issued virtual phone number. REQUIRED
  • url: URL to your media file. REQUIRED

Helpers that will construct proper xml to send back to Africa's Taking API when it comes POSTing.

• Say, Play, GetDigits, Dial, Record, Enqueue, Dequeue, Conference, Redirect, Reject

Remember to send back an HTTP 200.

For more information, please read https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/voice/overview and issue #15

USSD

For more information, please read https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/ussd/overview

Token

• generateAuthToken(): Generate an auth token to use for authentication instead of an API key.

Insights

• checkSimSwapState([phoneNumbers]): Check the sim swap state of a given [set of ] phone number(s).

WhatsApp

• sendMessage({ body, waNumber, phoneNumber }): Send a WhatsApp message to a given number.

  • waNumber: The number being used to send the message that is associated with the account. REQUIRED

  • phoneNumber: The number that is to receive the message. REQUIRED

  • body: The body of message to be sent. It is an object with one of the following fields:

    • For simple text message:

      • message: The text message to be sent to the client.

    • For media messages:

      • mediaType: The type of media being sent. Can be one of Image, Video, Audio or Voice.
      • url: The hosted URL of the media being sent.
      • caption: The caption associated with the media being sent.

    • For interactive list:

      • action: An object with a list of actions.
        • button: Action button title
        • section: A list of sections
          • title: A section title
          • rows: An array of section rows. Each row is an object { id, title, description }
          • product_items: A list of product items. Each item is an object { key: value(String) }
      • body:
        • text: Body text
      • header:
        • text: Header text
      • footer:
        • text: Footer text

    • For interactive buttons:

      • action: An object with a list of actions.
        • buttons: An array of buttons. Each is an object { id, title }
      • body:
        • text: Body text
      • header:
        • text: Header text

    • For template messages:

      • templateId: Id of template to use
      • headerValue: Value of the header text
      • bodyValues: List of values to fill in the template

• createTemplate({ component, waNumber, name, language, category }): Create a template for your future messages.

  • waNumber: The WhatsApp phone number that will be used to send the messages associated with the template. REQUIRED
  • name: The name of the template. This must be unique. REQUIRED
  • language: The language code(ISO 639-1) associated with the template. REQUIRED
  • category: The category associated with the template. Must be one of MARKETING, UTILITY and AUTHENTICATION.
  • components: An object containing the template values. It can contain the following:

    • header: The header of the template to be sent.

      • type: always HEADER
      • format: One of LOCATION, TEXT, DOCUMENT, IMAGE and VIDEO
      • text: The text to be contained in the header. Can be used with variables, e.g 'Hello {{1}}' where {{1}} will be replaced by a value sent.
      • example:
        • header_handle: Text used for replacement when header is of type media(i.e. anything but TEXT)
        • header_text: Text used for replacement when header type is TEXT

    • body: The type of message being sent in the body of the template.

      • type: always BODY
      • text: The text to be contained in the body. Can be used with variables, e.g 'Hello {{1}} there {{2}}' where {{1}} and {{2}} will be replaced by values sent.
      • example:
        • body_text: A list of texts to use for replacement. e.g. ['Juma', 'Champ']

    • footer: The footer of the template to be sent.

      • type: always FOOTER
      • text: The footer text.

    • buttons:

      • type: always BUTTONS
      • buttons: A list of buttons to be sent in the template. Each can have the following, depending on the type
        • type: One of PHONE_NUMBER, URL, FLOW, COPY_CODE and QUICK_REPLY
        • phone_number: Only needed for phone number type
        • url: Only needed for url type
        • text: Button text
        • example: An example string(Or list of string for type URL)
        • flow_id, flow_action(navigate or data_exchange) and navigate_screen are only needed for type FLOW

Application

• fetchApplicationData(): Get app information. e.g. balance

For more information, please read https://developers.africastalking.com/docs/application

Development

Run all tests:

$ pnpm install
$ pnpm test

Issues & Contribution

If you find a bug, please file an issue on our issue tracker on GitHub.

If you want to help improve this library, just send send us a PR!